This wasn’t the first time I saw Arnold at Gold’s Gym.
That initial meeting was the only time I’ve ever felt star-struck. And while I didn’t start having heart palpitations or follow him from machine to machine, I did do way too many sets of leg curls next to him—and my hamstrings paid for it dearly the next day.
This time, I was struck by The Oak’s obvious mortality.
He shuffled more as he walked and was hunched over in the way taller men do when they get old. And at 75, Arnold definitely meets that criteria.
However, what piqued my attention was the size of his wrists: I swear they were about the same width as my ankles. I immediately thought “structure”—the kind that’s built for decades of heavy weight training.
The type you’re either born with or not.
It drilled home that while much can be accomplished through hard work and dedication, a few essential things are simply beyond our control.
And while labeling the successful as “genetically gifted” is often a dog-whistle for being lazy and piss poor work ethic, the fact remains Arnold started his bodybuilding journey with a distinct genetic advantage.
The takeaway here isn’t to bail out on your passions if you don’t have the potential to be The Greatest of All Time.
It’s simply to manage your expectations. And if something is indeed a true life passion, find ways to develop your own greatness, using qualities unbound by height, bone structure, or circumstance.
Or what I’ve chosen to do: develop greatness in other ordinary folks.
And “greatness” looks like many different things.
For one it might be getting off a cocktail of prescription meds for conditions that can also be managed through lifestyle.
For another, it might be recapturing some of the vigor and athleticism they had in their twenties.
But for many, greatness is just looking and feeling GREAT.
Trouble is, just as many don’t know where to start. Or worse, they know WHAT to do but can’t seem to make it happen with everything going on in their life.
Weaving health and fitness into your life is not a destination but an active pursuit.
This is where I can help. It’s why I’m here, to help YOU.
Are you ready for greatness?
– Coach Bryan